Remember the old saltshaker prank? Someone would loosen the top of a salt shaker in a restaurant. The next customer would unsuspectingly try to put a little salt on their food and end up dumping the entire contents of the shaker on their plate!

It doesn’t take a lot of salt to make a meal taste better. Just a pinch of salt can make the ingredients of a dish really come to life.

In the same way, we don’t have to dump everything we have on people all at once in order to be effective in spreading the gospel message. If fact, sometimes, in giving them too much all at once, it becomes overwhelming for them, like a dish with way too much salt.

We have to be discerning about how much of God’s truth to unload on people at one time. Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth (Matt.5:13). Let’s try to give them just enough salt to make the truth of salvation through Jesus palatable for them.

Jesus also says that we are the light of the world (Matt.5:14). We shine the light of Jesus into this dark, sinful world so that people can find their way to salvation through Jesus.

Bob Goff says, “We can be the light of the world without leaving our high beams on and annoying everybody.”

Regardless of what you may have heard, I am still able to drive after dark. However, I must admit that I occasionally forget to dim my lights for oncoming drivers. Sometimes they will flash their bright lights at me to remind me to dim mine.

I think Bob Goff has a point. Sometimes we Christians can be abrasive in expressing our opinions about God. This can turn some people off and hamper our efforts to spread the gospel.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that our ultimate goal is to avoid annoying people. Jesus annoyed some people. You don’t get nailed to a cross because you got along with everybody!

However, we must always try to speak the truth in love. It only takes a little light to lead someone out of the darkness. Let us always strive to shine our light in the most effective way possible.

“…Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:16.